“ Wouldn’t you like to know that the people who design and manage products and systems do so with a core set of values in mind?”

Toward Codified Values for IA and UX

I’m a user experience (UX) consultant with a specialty in information architecture (IA), the organization of information to make meaning. I joke that my job is to make the world a better place, one interface at a time. I also joke that I am a web therapist. Neither of these statements is really a joke.

I’ve been working on a couple of things I want to share with the overlapping fields of UX and IA—and with you: A statement of core values, and a maturity model to gauge adoption of those values. They’re meant to help make the digital world better, fairer, less harmful, more user-centered for all users by giving IA/UX practitioners and organizations guidelines for making ethical decisions in their work. We’ve never had widely adopted core values before, and perhaps you’ve noticed that in their absence, a lot has gone awry. Technology has become mercenary.

Values Statement and Maturity Model for UX & IA practitioners and organizations (click to reach image page, then click link for full-size image)

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Image of two cyclists biking a safe distance apart through an empty landscape

Membership Organizations in the Time of COVID-19

The world has become a different place from what we knew a few weeks ago, and that place changes daily. We are all coping as best we can personally—and I hope that involves staying home as much as possible, for safety’s sake.

On the professional front, every type of organization is experiencing new challenges and threats. Membership organizations are in a special situation, facing business challenges coupled with a responsibility to serve members with changing needs. I’m seeing organizations in the healthcare field step up and advocate passionately for their members and constituents, demanding the supplies and working conditions they need to be safe and fulfill their mission.

What else can membership organizations do to help their constituents when so much is in flux? Here are some ideas.

Take nonessential things off their plates—and yours. At a time when we may be stretched to the limit and facing information overload, adaptation is easier when we can offload nonessential tasks and eliminate distractions. Let’s talk about email. If you and your members are anything like me, you’re getting emails from all directions—more …

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